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The Long Goodbye

We shared a wondrous life
It's hard to understand
But I have to say goodbye
Now while I still can

And though we've done it all
There's still so much to do
Our Spring will turn to Fall
As I Winter without you

Remember all the smiles
But if you need to cry
Love's never out of style
Despite The Long Goodbye

And those who still believe
In love so deep and pure
Won't feel we've been deceived
By the things we must endure

I won't ask you to stay
But I'm praying that you'll try
I'll love you anyway
Despite The Long Goodbye

I know it's hard to see
A mind no longer there
But my heart will always be
As long as I breathe air

And in eternity
My love will fill the sky
As I watch and wait for thee
But now the Long Goodbye

I'll watch and wait for thee
'Til you can be with me
But now The Long Goodbye

Words and Music by© Ken Johnson Copyright 2004

Tribute to the love that Ron and Nancy Reagan had for each other and what it must have been like to tell her goodbye when he found he had Alzheimer's and also to the many other victims and caregivers of this horrible disease. This song was heaven sent. It came to me, not just the chorus, but the whole thing, while I was in traffic during a pouring rain listening to Ronald Reagan's funeral on the radio. Although a life-long Democrat, I wrote this song about the love between two people and the challenges they had to face. Alzheimers doesn't care who you are and we must face these challenges as a united nation. I have performed "The Long Goodbye" at serveral Alzheimer's benefit concerts and at the BTi Center with John Tesh and at the RBC Center in front of 2,000 people with Hootie and the Blowfish (same event, different stage) and at the Alzheimer's Association Candlelight Vigil in Washington D.C.Check out more of my music at http://www.myspace.com/musicbykenjohnson

You Were Grand

All the doctor’s and the nurses

Say your laps are winding down

They’re surprised the way you ran them…gracefully

And it’s hard for them to figure

What’s keeping you around

Unless you’re waiting for a pass

From God and me

(CHORUS)

So I’m calmly here to tell you

I do understand

And it’s time now to look skyward

And rest there in his hands

The hourglass has spoken

Given up it’s sand

But you will never be forgotten…You Were Grand

There’s a picture of my mother

With you some years ago

I think she said that she had recently turned three

You took another with my daughter

And I compared the both

But for greying 'round the edges

You look the same to me

(CHORUS)

And I'm calmly here to tell you

I do understand

And its time now to look skyward

And rest there in his hands

The hourglass has spoken

Given up it's sand

You will never be forgotten

You Were Grand

And you don't need my permission

When it's time for you to go

I'm just glad we had this time to say goodbye

If it's faith or intuition

In God's time you will know

And you'll soar among the clouds

Across the sky

(CHORUS)

And I’m calmly here to tell you

I do understand

And it’s time now to look skyward

And rest there in his hands

The hourglass has spoken

Given up it’s sand

But you will never be forgotten…You Were Grand

Instrumental

I know the newness of your passing

Will have to bring some tears

If you hear them up in heaven... don't despair

For in time we'll turn to laughter

Remembering the years

And I'll keep your smile inside me...everywhere

(CHORUS)

So I’m calmly here to tell you

I do understand

And it’s time now to look skyward

And rest there in his hands

The hourglass has spoken

Given up it’s sand

But you will never be forgotten…You Were Grand

You will always be remembered...You Were Grand

You'll forever be here with us...You Were Grand

My tribute to grandparents. I wrote this song a few years ago and had planned to do the video for some time. Recently, Barack Obama flew to Hawaii to see his sick grandmother and that really got me thinking about the importance of grandparents again and so I finally finished it.





SGT Bixby Falls

In a foxhole half a world away
Tried to write but don’t know what to say
Told you 'bout my best friend Jim
Guess I best not mention him

You watch the News and hang on every word
It’s really not as bad as you have heard
They say we’ve only lost a few
And I will soon come home to you
And I won’t get scared at all
Unless SGT Bixby falls

Tough as nails through all the smoke and flames
But he remembers all our children’s names
Guess he stands about six foot three
And even bigger when he has to be

The kinda guy that knows no fear
He says he’s gonna get us out of here
And I won’t get scared at all
Unless SGT Bixby falls

(CHORUS)

When the chips are down
He can get real mean
He took a hill with an empty M16
And when the battle got demanding
He'd always be the last man standing

I looked around and swelled with pride
Thanked the Lord he was on our side
When we were almost overrun
He was like a force of one
And I won’t get scared at all
Unless SGT Bixby falls

Forget the letter that I wrote you yesterday
The situation on the ground has changed today
We couldn’t hold them and although we tried
We loss some ground and some men died

Gotta go, they’ve yelled "Fall in"
I guess we’re going out again
Nobody here admits they’re scared
But as for me I feel so unprepared
But I won’t get scared at all
Unless SGT Bixby falls

(CHORUS)

When the chips are down
He can get real mean
He took a hill with an empty M16
And when the battle got demanding
He'd always be the last man standing

I looked around and swelled with pride
Thanked the Lord he was on our side
When we were almost overrun
He was like a force of one
And I won’t get scared at all
Unless SGT Bixby falls

The sergeant major sent down word
Seems everyone but me had heard
SGT Bixby fell last night
In the middle of a firefight

They say at first they were pinned down
But SGT Bixby worked around
Then he did what he did best
Ran some off and killed the rest
But in the middle of that hell
SGT Bixby fell

(CHORUS)

When the chips were down
He could get real mean
He took a hill with an empty M16
And when the battle got demanding
He'd always be the last man standing

I looked around and swelled with pride
Thanked the Lord he was on our side
When we were almost overrun
He was like a force of one
And we won’t get scared at all
There’s a little SGT Bixby in us all
And we won’t get scared at all
There’s a little SGT Bixby in us all

© Copyright 2004 Ken Johnson

Funny, during my time in war, I thought less about why we were there than how we were going to get home. The fear, though palpable was something we never talked about and drew on the strength of the soldier next to us, for if he wasn't scared, how could we allow ourselves to be? I knew no one named SGT Bixby, but this mythical soldier is representative of a couple of guys whose strength and courage got me through it all.

President Obama: Pretending To Be Santa Claus

Letter from Nancy Reagan's Office

Bti Center for the performing Arts

Alice Watkins- NC Alzheimer's Association/Eastern Chapter
John Tesh- Bti Center for the performing Arts

RBC Center - On the bill with Hootie and the Blowfish

STAMP TO PUBLICIZE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

The Eastern North Carolina chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and the U.S. Postal Service presented an Alzheimer's Awareness stamp at an unveiling ceremony at the north end of Bicentennial Mall, across from the Legislative Building in Raleigh on October 17, 2008.
The Postal Service and the Alzheimer's Association are using the introduction of the new stamp to publicize Alzheimer's, now the sixth-leading cause of death in America. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, including 150,000 in North Carolina, and that number is expected to quadruple by 2025. Every 71 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer's disease. By mid-century, someone will develop the disease every 33 seconds.

RELEASED TO THE ANGELS

A Caregiver's Journey

In March of 2008 I had the pleasure of performing "The Long Goodbye" and "You Were Grand" at the Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., for the Alzheimer's Association Public Policy Forum. While there, I met a most amazing woman. The story of her journey really touched me and now she has published a book "Released to the ANGELS" A Caregiver's Journey. I am honored that she has included "The Long Goodbye" on her website. Click the cover below to check it out.